Method and apparatus for reducing fuzzing and breaking of strands



July 5, 1966 R. E. SMITH 3,259,334

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING FUZZING AND BREAKING OF sTRANDs Filed Jan. 27, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR For E. SM/ TH July 5, 1966 R. E. SMITH 3,259,334

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING FUZZING AND BREAKING OF STRANDS Filed Jan. 27, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Big-.2

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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING FUZZING AND BREAKING OF STRANDS Filed Jan. 27, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. For 5 5/14/ TH 47" TOANE V5 United States Patent 3,259,334 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING FUZZING AND BREAKING 0F STRANDS Roy E. Smith, Anderson, S.C., assignor to Qwens-(Iorning Fiberglas Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 340,202 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-1183) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for reducing fuzzing and breaking of strands generally and more particularly to a method and means for reducing fuzzing and breaking of strands being twisted on a bobbin af-ter being delivered via a traveler apparatus.

It is well known in the textile industry that the fuzzing and/or breaking of yarns or strands either during the process of placing the strands on or removing the strands from a bobbin or collector greatly interferes with the total productivity of a plant thereby increasing costs as well as varying the quality of the final product being made. Twisted or plied yarns 0r strands are normally collected on bobbins or collectors having a generally cylindrical surface. In order to prevent the collected yarn or strand from sliding on of these generally cylindrical surfaces it has been conventional practice in the past to provide yarn traps on the cylindrical bobbin to prevent the slippage. These prior art yarn traps, while successful in retaining the collected yarn in place, have generally contributed to the fuzzing or breaking of the yarn as it is unwound from the package. Further, in originally collecting the yarns or strands on the bobbin there has been difliculty in fuzzing or breaking the strands because of the force exerted on the strand by its being wrapped on the barrel surface via a traveler or guide freely rotating around the barrel surface.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for reducing the :fuzzing and breaking of strands or yarns during a twisting or plying process and during its removal after collection.

Another object of the invention resides in the use of improved collector apparatus to place the strands or yarns on a bobbin body or barrel.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved yarn trap that will prevent abrasion or breaking of the yarn when it is discharged from the bobbin barrel while still retaining the collected package on the bobbin barrel during normal handling procedures.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method for collecting and discharging yarn or strands which greatly increases the continuity of the yarn or strand for use in a final textile process.

Further objects, advantages and features of this invention will become readily apparent when the following description is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a textile strand or yarn twisting or processing apparatus with which the method and apparatus of this invention has particular utility;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of -a bobbin or collector illustrating an embodiment of the teachings of this invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of FIG. 2 taken at lines 33;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are side elevational views of prior art bobbins utilizing various types of yarn traps;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a bobbin in place during a collecting process;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional plan view of a bobbin barrel showing angular relations of the strand, traveler and barrel; and

3,25%,334 Patented July 5, i966 ice FIG. 9 is a sketch trigonometrically relating the distances and angles of FIG. 8.

Referring to the drawings in detail and. initially to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a conventional type of twister or twister apparatus 10 for processing filamentary materials. The apparatus 10 is inclusive of a frame structure comprising spaced housings 12, one at each end of the apparatus, one of which is illustrated in FIG. 1, the end housings being connected by bolster rails 14, one of which is shown in FIG. 1, and a supply package mounting structure 16 and other frame members (not shown).

The structure 16 is equipped with a plurality of mandrels or supports (not shown), each mandrel arranged to support a supply package 20 of textile strand, yarn or filamentary material 22 to be twisted or processed through the use of the apparatus.

A bolster rail 14 is arranged at each side of the machine, one being shown in FIG. 1, each bolster rail supporting a plurality of bushing members or spindle mounting units 24. The spindles (not shown) are arranged to be driven simultaneously by a single drive belt or tape 56 diposed for engagement with whorls 38. Idler rollers 58 are disposed adjacent the driving belt 56 and the whorls 38 and are relatively movable by conventional means (not shown) for moving the drive belt toward or away from an individual spindle to selectively establish or interupt a drive to such spindle.

The belt 56 extends lengthwise of the apparatus and is engaged with a drive pulley 62 mounted upon a shaft 64 driven by an electrically energizable motor 66 through power transmission mechanism or gearing of convention construction contained within a housing 68. The motor 66 is mounted upon a supplemental frame 70 adjacent one end of the twister apparatus.

The twister apparatus includes ring rails 72, one at each side, arranged to be reciprocated in a vertical direction by conventional means (not shown) driven by the motor 66.

The ring rail 72 is provided with circular openings 74 to accommodate the spindles and bobbins driven thereby, each circular opening being defined by a circular track 76 mounting a traveler or fiyer 78 which is freely rotatable around the spindle and bobbin through which the strand or yarn 22 is threaded in the conventional manner. The twister apparatus includes a feed roll unit 80 of conventional character individual to each strand or yarn 22 for feeding the same from the package 20 at a speed at which the strand or yarn is to be wound upon a bobbin.

The strand or yarn feeding or advancing mechanism of each of the units 80 is driven from a shaft 84 rotated by a belt 86 from power transmission mechanism of conventional character enclosed in a housing 88 driven by mechanism in the housing 68 through pulleys and a belt 90.

Each of the units 80 is constructed and arranged to interrupt the feed of a strand in the event of breakage. Each of the spindles is arranged to mount or support a bobbin or collector 94 upon which strand or yarn is wound.

Most bobbins currently being used are fashioned of molded resinous material or plastic of rigid character having a comparatively thin wall. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower end of the bobbin 94 may be fashioned with a circular flange 96 forming an abutment for filamentary material wound upon the bobbin barrel. The conven tional type of bobbin fashioned of molded resinous material is usually fashioned with an exterior surface 98 of generally cylindrical shape. In the past yarn traps have been formed on the surface or into the surface 93 of the bobbin barrel to prevent the entire package or portions of the package from slipping during collection or discharge. The prior art yarn traps usually comprised one or more series of fine serrations such as 110 in FIG. 4, a series of separated grooves such as at 111 in FIG. 5, or a series of separated ridges such as 112 in FIG. 6. All of these yarn traps were effective in maintaining the yarn at a collected position on the barrel of the bobbin but were ineffective in preventing fuzzing or breaking of the strand as the yarn was collected or discharged since each of the prior art yarn traps have sharp edges which either abrade or fuzz or cause breakage of the strand or yarn or filamentary material being collected or discharged.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 there is illustrated an embodiment of applicants invention which prevents the abrading, fuzzing and/ or breaking of the strands or yarns during either the collecting or discharge process. One or more yarn traps 100 have been formed in or on the surface 98 of the bobbin barrel. When a series of the yarn traps 100 are formed in the surface 98 of the bobbin barrel they may be viewed either as successive ridges or successive grooves. From either view however, the most important feature of each of the yarn traps is the gradually inclined slope of the discharge edge of the trap.

Referring to FIG. 3 we see that the yarn trap embodying the features of this invention comprises a gradually inclined discharge slope 101. A gradually declining slope on the opposite edge of the yarn trap 102 also aids :in avoiding abrasion of the yarn as it is being collected on the bobbin. It is advantageous to provide a substantially flat portion 103 of the yarn trap separating the gradually declining slope 102 and gradually inclining slope 101 to aid in avoiding entanglement of the thread or yarn in an inadvertently formed narrow crevice which might be formed between the declining and inclining slopes, whether the bobbin barrel or yarn trap surface is formed by turning on a lathe or by a molding process. Similarly, it is advantageous to provide a substantially flat portionbetween successive yarn traps, such as at 104 and 105, to prevent the abrasion of yarn through an inadvertent formation of a sharp edge between an inclining slope and a subsequent declining slope.

Experimental results have shown that bobbin barrels having yarn traps as just described have performed most successfully when the centers of successive substantially fiat portions 104, 105 are separated by a distance d equal to .625 inch, when the distance a of a substantially flat section such as 104 is .0625 inch, when the extension of a gradually inclining slope 101 and a gradually declining slope 102 are distances c and f and are .175 inch each, and where the depth of the yarn trap, indicated by the reference character b, is equal to .0125 inch. The use of such measurements provides a little more than a 4 slope as noted by the angle x for the inclined and declined edges of the yarn trap and performs the functions desired as hereinbefore described.

It should be noted that, although the yarn traps are shown in the drawings as isosceles trapezoids in cross section for purposes of clarity, that other configurations which include the features hereinbefore described are to be considered within the scope of this invention. For example, one or more yarn traps may be constructed on the bobbin barrel which would appear in cross section as a sine wave. It is obvious that yarn traps formed in this manner would achieve substantially the same results as the specific embodiment shown, since the features of a gradually inclining slope, at gradually declining slope, and substantially flat portions at the peaks and valleys of successive yarn traps would approximate that shown and would furnish the same results.

When the bobbin barrel is of a small diameter force exerted on the strand by it being wrapped on the barrel surface is exerted through a small lateral angle against the traveler with the result that the traveler or guide acts more abrasively on the strand passing therethrough, es-

pecially on the individual filaments making direct sharp angular engagement with the traveler surface. This is illustrated in FIGS. 7 through 9. FIG. 7 discloses an enlarged plan view of the ring rail 72 with the circular open ing 74 which is defined by a circular track 76 mounting a traveler or flyer 78 which is freely rotatable around the spindle and bobbin 94. The strand or yarn 22 is threaded through the traveler 78 and thence proceeds around the barrel 94-. Referring to FIG. 8 there is shown a cross sectional view of the barrel 94. The strand 22 makes tangential contact with the barrel surface 98 at a point thereby defining a line between the tangential contact point 130 and the center 131 of the barrel section shown. The distance between the points 130 and 131 is, of course, the radius of the barrel R as shown in FIG. 9. Another line is defined between the strand contact point at the traveler 78 and the center 131 of the barrel section, the distance between these two points being the radius R, of the circle defined by the rotation of the traveler 78 around the bobbin barrel. The radius R and the strand 22 define an angle 0. Applicants method and apparatus herein provides that the ratio of R to R must be at least .45 to avoid the fuzzing and breaking caused by the individual filament making direct sharp angular engagement with the traveler surface. The ratio of R to R just expressed is, of course, the sine of the angle 0. Therefore, if the ratio of R to R is to be .45 or larger then the angle 0 must be at least approximately 27 or larger to avoid the fuzzing and breakage of the past.

There has thus been described a method for reducing fuzzing and breaking of strands during a twisting process which comprises a step of forming an angle of at least 27 between a first line extending through a longitudinal axis of a cylindrical bobbin body and a strand contact point on a traveler circling said bobbin body, and a second line extending through the strand contact point on the traveler and a tangential contact point of the strand on the bobbin body. The method further includes the steps of forming a yarn trap around the cylindrical bobbin body and smoothing the discharge edge of the trap to a gradually inclined slope.

The invention utilizes a textile bobbin having a generally cylindrical body for receiving a yarn package wherein the yarn receiving surface of the body has at least.

one yarn trap formed therein. The discharge edge of the yarn trap has a gradually inclined slope and may advantageously be extended circumferentially around the body and have a groove-shaped section. The other edge of the groove-shaped section may advantageously have a gradually declining slope. The groove-shaped section may also advantageously have a substantially flat bottom separating the inclined and declined slopes. If a plurality of yarn traps are formed in the textile bobbin the inclined slope edge of a first groove-shaped section may be ad vantageously separated from a declined slope edge of a successive groove section by a substantially fiat portion along the same section plane of the generally cylindrical body. As stated hereinbefore, the yarn traps may also be defined as a series of one or more ridges formed in the cylindrical body. If the yarn traps are defined as ridges then the discharge edge of the ridge is gradually inclined, the peak of the ridge advantageously has a substantially flat portion, and the other edge of the ridge is advantageously gradually declined to aid in avoiding abrasion and breaking of the yarn during collection or discharge.

Further apparatus for practicing this invention may include the provision of a bobbin body in which the ratio of the smallest radius of a cross section of the bobbin body to the radius of a helix or a circle defined by the path of movement of a traveler around the bobbin body is never less than .45. That is, the angle formed by a strand between the traveler and the circumference of the bobbin barrel and a line between the strand contact point body for receiving a yarn package; the yarn receiving 10 surface of said body having a plurality of yarn traps formed therein; each yarn trap extending circumferentially around said body and having a groove-shaped section with a discharge edge and another edge, the discharge edge of said groove having a gradually inclined slope While the other edge has a gradually declining slope, the inclined slope edge of a first groove-shaped section being separated from a declined slope edge of a successive groove-shaped section by a substantially fiat portion.

6 2. A textile bobbin as defined in claim 1 in which the inclined slope edge and declined slope edge of said groove-shaped sections are separated by a substantially fiat portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,459,727 6/1923 Guyette et al. 242l 18.31 2,551,462 5/1951 Potts 5775 FOREIGN PATENTS 466,183 10/1951 Italy.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

M. STEIN, Examiner.

L. D. CHRISTIAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TEXTILE BOBBIN COMPRISING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BODY FOR RECEIVING A YARN PACKAGE; THE YARN RECEIVED SURFACE OF SAID BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF YARN TAPES FORMED THEREIN; EACH YARN TRAP EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND SAID BODY AND HAVING A GROOVE-SHAPED SECTION WITH A DISCHARGE EDGE AND ANOTHER EDGE, THE DISCHARGE EDGE OF SAID GROOVE HAVING A GRADUALLY INCLINED SLOPE WHILE THE OTHER EDGE HAS A GENERALLY DECLINING SLOPE, THE INCLINED SLOPE EDGE OF A FIRST GROOVE-SHAPED SECTION BEING SEPARATED FROM A DECLINED SLOPE EDGE OF SAID A SUCCESSIVE GROOVE-SHAPED SECTION BY A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PORTION. 